Our Favorite Mail-Order King Cakes

You can purchase any flavor and style of king cake online year-round, so we narrowed the field for you. Here are our favorites.

Article: Donna Florio

<em>Mardi Gras King Cakes clockwise from top right: Berry Deluxe Combo King Cake from Paul's Pastry, Traditional Cinnamon King Cake from Manny Randazzo King Cakes, French King Cake from Poupart Bakery</em>

King cakes honor the Epiphany (it’s the start of Mardi Gras) and are actually filled pastry rings, frosted and bedecked in traditional royal colors of green (faith), gold (power), and purple (justice).

Fans fall into two camps, preferring either the denser, Danish pastry-style, or the light, tender brioche version. Loyalties divide even further when it comes to the fillings, which range from basic cinnamon and sugar to cream cheese, fruit, and even praline. One feature is sacrosanct though: All king cakes come with a tiny baby to tuck inside. The person who finds it wins good fortune (unless he bites down too hard) but has to buy the next cake.

Best Mardi Gras King CakesPaul’s PastryPicayune, MS. paulspastry.comIf you want doughnut-like pastry and plenty of filling, order: Berry Deluxe Combo King CakeWhy We Love It: The cream cheese-and-berry filling is just the right counterpoint to the slightly sweet brioche. Medium cake: $55.95 (shipping included)

Poupart BakeryLafayette, LA. poupartsbakery.comIf you want a traditional French-style king cake, order: French King CakeWhy We Love It: This classic is more of a pie, with rich almond paste sandwiched between two layers of delicate puff pastry (it's a little like a giant almond croissant). 10-inch cake: $13.95 (does not include shipping)